The new MLS Reserve League will be split into East, Central, and West divisions with teams facing each divisional opponent twice for a total of 10 games per team. Clubs may schedule additional games for their reserve squads against non-MLS opponents. The games featuring two MLS reserve teams begin March 20 and conclude Oct. 16.

MLSR FIRST KICK 2011Reserve League: D.C. United vs Columbus CrewThe Black-and-Red open Reserve League play with a 3-2 win

D.C. United kicked off the 2011 MLS Reserve League season with a 3-2 win against the Columbus Crew on Sunday, March 20 at the D.C. United Auxiliary Field in Washington, D.C.

The Black-and-Red wasted little time getting on the scoresheet, with defender Rodrigo Brasesco heading home a Brandon Barklage cross in the third minute. Five minutes later, Columbus pulled level as Bernardo Anor slotted a strike into United's net. The match stayed level at 1-1 until the 39th minute, with rookie striker Blake Brettschneider firing home a close-range effort after Columbus goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum failed to clear the ball in his own area.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes came back to defeat Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2-1 in their Reserve League opener on Tuesday at the Nutrilite Training Facility thanks to a game winner from Matt Luzunaris.

The first half was a back and forth affair, with Vancouver drawing first blood in the 8th minute. New signing Camillo played the ball forward to Long Tan, who dropped a pass back to Gashi on the left side of the field. Gashi touched the ball forward and unleashed a thunderous strike from 30 yards that went into the corner of the goal, striking the crossbar before dropping into the net.

FOXBOROUGH, MA – Blake Brettschneider and Branko Boskovic each factored in three of D.C. United reserve’s goals in the visitors’ 4-1 victory over the New England Revolution reserves on Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Major League Soccer’s reserve league.

The Revs struck early, with Ilija Stolica – assisted by Chris Tierney – scoring New England’s lone goal in the first minute of play.

United dominated for the remainder of the match, with Boskovic netting his first goal – assisted by Stephen King – in the 18th minute. Boskovic then assisted two of Brettschneider’s goals, first in the 34th minute and again in the 43rd. D.C.’s final goal came in the 69th minute, when Marcus Salandy-Defour emerged from a scramble in the box to finish Brettschneider’s service

AN JOSE, Calif. – Michael Tetteh came off the bench to break a scoreless draw, striking an 87th-minute game winner to give Sounders FC a 1-0 edge over the Earthquakes in Sunday’s Reserve League match at the Nutrilite Training Facility.

Tetteh cut in from the left, took a friendly bounce off an Earthquakes defender while trying to dribble to the right and then unleashed a shot that whizzed through the legs of center back Brad Ring and into the net past a diving Andrew Weber.

Weber made several quality stops for San Jose and finished with seven saves in his second Reserve League start of 2011. Both sides had their chances at goal with a narrow 13-11 shot advantage for Seattle, but it was Weber that was tested more often with Sounders FC placing eight shots on goal to San Jose’s one.

The Earthquakes Reserves return to action on Saturday, April 23 when they host Chivas USA at 4:30 p.m. PT at the Nutrilite Training Facility.

Liverpool trialist nets for Chivas in reserve matchBanton scores, sets up another; unclear if Goats able to keep him

CARSON, Calif. – After a week’s training with Chivas USA, trialist and Liverpool youth player Jason Banton got a chance to show his abilities to the Rojiblancos staff in a match situation.

Banton tallied a goal and helped create a second on Sunday when the Chivas USA reserves defeated USL PRO side LA Blues 2-0 on the practice fields surrounding the Home Depot Center. It was a performance that led to a number of questions of whether or not the 18-year-old Englishman warranted being brought into the Goats squad.

Houston reserves open season with 1-0 winGarey's header proves decisive; Academy products show well

HOUSTON – In a match between the 2008 Reserve Division conference winners, the Dynamo made a Jason Garey goal stand on their way to a 1-0 win over the Sporting Kansas City reserves at Robertson Stadium on Monday afternoon.

Rapids reserves a blend of youth, experienceMany of current reserve side have seen first-team action in 2011

Gary Smith came under fire by some fans last month when he fielded what many described as a reserves side in the Colorado Rapids' US Open Cup play-in loss to the Chicago Fire. But what such criticisms may have overlooked is the fact that 10 of the starting 11 that day have been involved in the game-day 18 at some point in the Rapids’ 2011 season.

LEHI, Utah — Led by goals from Conor Chinn and Collen Warner, Real Salt Lake's reserves completed a Rocky Mountain sweep, getting the better of Colorado Rapids with a 2-0 victory on Thursday at Xango Field in Reserve League play.

The victory is the first for RSL in the reserve league, improving their record to 1-0-1. For RSL reserves coach Jeff Cassar, the difference-maker was the team’s mentality.

“I thought we had the right mentality today," he said. "We came out here and didn’t let Colorado have anything.”

OBETZ, Ohio – Cole Grossman may have started both CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal matches against Real Salt Lake earlier this year, but the rookie has yet to play in the Crew’s four regular-season games.

That’s why the midfielder won’t take lightly Sunday morning’s reserve match at Crew Stadium against the University of Louisville.

“You have to use it as an opportunity to get better,” Grossman said. “It’s particularly tough if you don’t have the right attitude. It’s important for rookies to not get too emotional about not playing a lot and understand the realities of professional sports.”

The Duke product played the second half of the Crew’s first MLS Reserve League match against D.C. United on March 20 – a 3-2 loss – and scored against St. Louis University during a 2-0 win on April 2.

“I try to approach them as if they were one of the regular games,” Grossman said of the reserve matches. “You don’t get anything out of them if you don’t.”

The Crew’s next Reserve League game is April 23 at Toronto FC following the first-team game. While every player wants to be on the varsity team, so to speak, playing for the reserves is harder for veteran players who don’t crack the first XI or the 18-man game-day squad.

CARSON, Calif. (Thursday, May 3, 2011)- Chivas USA defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-1 in an MLS Reserve League match on Tuesday at The Home Depot Center’s Track and Field Stadium. Rookie Victor Estupiñan scored two first half goals for Chivas USA, while fellow rookie Hector Jimenez scored for the LA Galaxy.

The match was very open in the first half, with both teams creating several good chances. Estupiñan opened the scoring in the 31st minute, collecting a pass from midfielder Gerson Mayén and rounding Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Saunders to tap into an empty net.

Seattle got goals from three different players to get a 3-2 win at Starfire in their first home Reserve League match. TUKWILA, WASH. - The Sounders FC is now two games into their first MLS Reserve League schedule and they’ve played two drastically different games.

In San Jose in April, Michael Tetteh scored a last-minute goal to give the Sounders a 1-0 victory.

On Monday night at Starfire, they dropped behind 1-0 early, but battled back to take a 3-1 lead. Then Terry Boss came up big at the end to preserve a 3-2 victory over Chivas USA.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Second-half goals from midfielders Servando Carrasco and David Estrada guided Seattle Sounders FC to a 2-0 win over the Portland Timbers in an MLS Reserve League match before 3,393 at JELD-WEN Field on Monday afternoon.

Facing one another for a second time in Reserve League play, the matchup between the Timbers Reserves and Sounders FC Reserves possessed a physical tone. The back-and-forth battle between the two sides saw Seattle strike twice in the final 13 minutes to grab its second win over Portland. The Sounders FC Reserves came away with a 3-2 victory in their first meeting May 15 in Tukwila, Wash.

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